1a: Peripheral vascular disease is a common condition with a complex and multifactorial development involving interplay between the genetic makeup of the individual and predisposing risk factors including age, female sex, family history. The aims of this project include studies of genetic and environmental determinants of peripheral vascular disease by analyzing genetic predisposition and exposures assessed in the UK Biobank.

1b: We believe that our specific aim of understanding the genetic underpinnings of peripheral vascular disease meets UK Biobank’s stated purpose “aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses”.

1c: The full UK Biobank cohort is going to be used for this project, Health information including family history will be incorporated in the analysis to improve the ability to obtain accurate predictions of inheritable disease. We hope to uncover genetic variations leading to new knowledge on the development of peripheral vascular disease. This will help to identify opportunities for primary prevention, and to improve the possibilities to target individuals at highest risk for developing disease.